Apparatus for spinning a lateral flange on a tube



Aug. 21, 1962 L. R. HOCK 3,050,102

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING A LATERAL FLANGE -ON A TUBE Filed June 16, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1' Lawrence 12. Hock BY luu w ATTORNEY 1962 L. R. HocK 3,050,102

APPARATUS FOR SPINNING A LATERAL FLANGE ON A TUBE Filed June 16, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1962 L. R. HOCK 3,050,102

APPARATUS FOR spnmmc A LATERAL FLANGE on A TUBE Filed June 16, 1958 s Sheets-She et 3 INVENTOR Lawienae R. Hack 28 {a BY im? ATTORNEY 3,050,102 APPARATUS FOR SPINNING A LATERAL FLANGE ON A TUBE Lawrence R. Hock, 363 Arch St., Meadville, Pa. Filed June 16, 1958, Ser. No. 742,249 1 Claim. (ill. 15381) This invention relates to an apparatus for spinning a lateral flange on a tube formed of ductile metal.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whereby a comparatively small opening is first formed in the side wall of a tube, and then the metal surrounding the opening is flared outwardly while the size of the opening is increased by gradual working until an outwardly projecting cylindrical flange is provided around the enlarged opening. A particular object is to enlarge the opening and to form the flange by outward spinning of the metal surrounding the originally small opening and it is intended, further, to form an inwardly projecting shoulder on the flange in the plane of the tube wall, so as to provide a seat for the end of a branch tube engaging in the lateral opening.

Another object is the provision of a composite tool comprising a clamp which engages around a tube, the clamp having a lateral passage into which the tube flange is spun. The lateral passage also has a means cooperating, first, with one part of the tool which pierces the small hole in the tube side wall and subsequently cooperating with a bent spinning finger which is inserted through the small opening and then rotated and pulled outwardly so as to enlarge the opening. Thus, the flange is spun into the inner end of the lateral passage in the clamp. A more specific object is to provide screw threads in the lateral opening, a threaded punch which is screw-driven through the tube side wall to form the small opening, and a threaded plug carrying the bent spinning finger, the bent finger being screw-driven outwardly through the threaded lateral opening in the clamp so as to spin the flange and enlarge the opening.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation showing the clamp assembly and punch;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the clamp jaws open;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the punch plug;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing the components of the punch plug shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the lower end of the punch in cross section;

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross section through the clamps, with a tube clamped therein, and the punch plug having been operated to provide a small hole through the tube side wall;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation showing the spinning plug and spinning finger;

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross section through the clamps after the punch plug has been replaced by the spinning plug, the spinning finger having been inserted through the hole in the tube side wall and then rotated and partly withdrawn so as to commence the spinning operation;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10, but showing the completion of the spinning operation;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation of a tube with the lateral flange spun thereon;

FIG. 13 is a transverse sectional view of the tube shown in FIG. 12, and showing the lateral flange, lateral passage, and seat formed in the inner end of the lateral passage;

3,5,lil2 Patented Aug. 21, i962 ice FIG. 14 is a side elevation of a modified form of a spinning plug and wrench assembly; 7

FIG. 15 is an exploded view of the assembly shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the attachment of the spinning finger shank in the rotating head of the modification shown in FIGS. 14 and 15;

FIG. 17 is a plan view of the standard ratchet wrenches preferably used to drive the threaded plug and rotating head of the modified spinning assembly; and,

FIG. 18 is :a vertical cross section through the clamps, showing the modified form of spinning plug in operation, with the lateral flange partly formed.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote similar elements, the clamp assembly 2 consists of fixed and pivoted jaws 4 and 6, respectively, hingedly connected at one end by a link 8. Link 8 is accommodated in slots 10 and 12 in the jaws and connected to the jaws by pivot pins 14 and 16. At their other ends, the clamp jaws are releasably held together by a clamp bolt 18 connected to fixed jaw 4 by pivot pin 20, the clamp bolt being accommodated in slots 22 and 24 in the fixed and pivoted jaws. A Wing nut 26 and washer 28 on the free end of clamp bolt 18 clamp the jaws together. Between the jaws there is a circular passage 29 surrounded by a cylindrical form 30. Form 30 is preferably a composite member, consisting of semi-circular inserts 31, 32 on the fixed jaw and inserts 33, 34 on the pivoted jaw. The inserts are held in place by screws 36, it being understood that the form may be made larger by removing one or more pairs of the inserts, and the form may also be made smaller by adding an additional pair of inserts.

Fixed jaw 4 is provided with a lateral channel 3 8 which registers with lateral openings 40 in inserts, and most of lateral channel 38, save the inner end, has internal threads 42. Referring particularly to FIGS. 5 to 8, inclusive, the assembly includes a punch plug 44 externally thread ed as at 46 and provided at its outer end with a bar hole 48 through which a lever bar 50 may be engaged. A

a punch 52 having a sharp edged concave lower end 54 is mounted in a socket 56 at the inner end of punch plug 44 and held in place by screws 58. As will be apparent from FIG. 8, the punching phase of the method is accomplished by first clamping a tube 60, preferably of copper, brass or the like ductile material into form 30 between jaws 4 and 6 and, after wing nut 26 is tightened on clamp bolt 18 so as to hold tube 60 firmly in place, punch plug 44 is threadedly engaged downwardly through lateral channel 38 until the sharp end 54 of punch 52 engages against the outer surface of tube 60. Then, by manually turning lever bar 50', punch 52 is driven through the side wall of tube 60 so as to punch out a small plug 62, leaving a hole 64 through the tube side Wall. It will be noted that the edge of the tube surrounding hole 64 is flanged downwardly, as indicated at 66, at the completion of the punching phase of the operation. Thereafter, punch plug 44 is unscrewed from lateral channel 38, and wing nut 26 is loosened so that the clamps may be spread apart.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 9 and 10, the assembly further includes a spinning plug 68 which, like punch plug 44, has external threads 70 along its side and a bar hole 72 at its upper end. A bent spinning finger 74 is mounted in the lower end of spinning plug 68. After punch plug 44 has been removed and the clamps opened, spinning plug 68 is threaded downwardly into lateral passage 36, and tube 60 is manipulated so that bent spinning finger 74 projects through hole 64 in the side wall of tube 60. Hole 64, following the punching operation illustrated in FIG. 8, is just large enough so that the spinning finger 74 can fit downwardly through it into the interior of tube 60. Thereafter, clamp jaws 4 and 6 are again closed and wing nut 26 is tightened. Lever bar 56 is inserted through .bar hole 72 and spinning plug 68 is rotated so as to screw it outwardly through lateral passage 38. Bent spinning finger 74 is, of course, rotated and screw driven slowly outwardly so as to engage against the then inwardly projecting flange 66 surrounding hole 64. FIG. 10 illustrates the condition of the parts after spinning plug 68 has beenpartially unscrewed. As bent spinning finger 74 rotates and moves outwardly, hole 64 in the side wall of tube 61 is enlarged and flange 66, at the FIG. 10 stage, has been partially reversed. By further unscrewing of the spinning plug 68 to the position shown in FIG. 11, bent spinning finger 74 has been rotated and withdrawn so that its eccentric free end has enlarged hole 64a to the size shown in FIGS. 11 and 13 and flange 66 has been completely reversed to the form indicated at 6611 so that it now constitutes a flange projection extending radially outward of the side wall of tube and surrounding lateral passage 64a. It has been found, by operation of the illustrated mechanism, that a slight restriction or seat 76 is formed in the metal at the inner end of lateral passage 64a. It is believed that the metal which forms the outwardly extending flange 66a is slightly thinned out by spinning finger 74 as the latter forces the metal against the cylindrical side walls of openings 40 in inserts 31 and 32 whereas the metal at the inner end of passage 64a, lying in the plane of the side wall of tube 60, is not thinned out to the same extent. In any event, the seat 76 thus formed at the inner end of lateral passage 64a has been found to provide an excellent stop for the end of a branch pipe when the latter is engaged in lateral passage 64a. The branch pipe, not shown, may, of course, be soldered or otherwise secured in place. I

Referring to the modified form of spinning assembly 168 shown in FIGS. 14 to 18, inclusive, this modification is used with clamps 2 for spinning a lateral flange 66 on tube 60, generally in the manner of the spinning plug 68 previously described. However, the modified spinning assembly 168 consists of a hollow plug-like body 169 having external threads 170 threadedly engaging the internal threads 42 in clamp bore 38. Body 169 has an axial bore 171 extending from end-to-end and, at its upper end, a hexagonal neck 172 and a reduced diameter end 173. A bent spinning finger 174 has an elongate shank 175 rotat ably engaging through axial bore 171, and a flat 177 adjacent its upper end. The upper end of shank 175 engages in an axial socket 179 in a cylindrical head 181, with set screws 183 engaging flat 177 so as to hold shank 175 non-rotatable relative to head 181. A hexagonal end 185 on head 181 is provided, it being apparent from FIGS. 14, 15 and 18 that wrenches 187A and 187B, such as the ratchet wrench 187 shown in FIG. 17, engage hexagonal neck 172 and end 185 so that the plug-like body 169 and head 181 are separately driven.

After the initial hole 64 is formed in tube 60, clamps 2 are opened and spinning assembly 168 is inserted so that the lower end of shank 175 projects through hole 64 and bent spinning finger 174 projects laterally beneath the material of tube 60' surrounding the opening. Then, with the clamps closed as in FIG. 18, wrench 187A is operated so as to unscrew hollow body 169 outwardly through clamp bore 42 enough to press spinning finger 174 against the inside of tube 60. 'Ihen wrench 18713 is operated so as to rotate head 181 and spinning finger 174 so as to start the outward spinning of the tube metal surrounding hole 64. While wrench 187B is being operated, wrench 187 may be moved upwardly into non-driving position around reduced head 173 to avoid manual interference between the wrenches. By the alternate backing-out of body 169 and rotation of spinning finger 174, hole 64 is gradually enlarged and flange 66 is formed against the cylindrical side walls of openings 40 in inserts 31 and 3 2.

The invention is not limited to the details illustrated and described hereinbefore, but is intended to cover all substitutions, modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

An apparatus for spinning a lateral flange on a metal tube, comprising: a split form for engaging around said tube, said form having a cylindrical passage .therethrough in which said tube is received and an internally screw threaded cylindrical channel extending radially outward from said passage; a plug comprising a cylindrical body with external screw threads threadedly engaging in said channel, said body having inner and outer ends and an integral projection on the outer end of said body terminating in a flat annular outwardly facing bearing surface, wrench engaging surfaces on said projection, said body and projection having a coaxial cylindrical bore extending from end to end therethrough; a spinning device including a shank member of smaller external diameter than the internal diameter of the plug bore and removably disposed coaxially therein, said shank member having inner and outer ends respectively extending beyond the inner and outer ends of said plug body and projection, and a spinning finger integral with the inner end; a substantially cylindrical retaining member having inner and outer ends, a substantially flat annular bearing surface on the inner end of the retaining member engaging against the outwardly facing substantially flat annular bearing surface of the projection on the outer end of the plug body, said retaining member having an axial bore extending inwardly of the member from the inner end thereof, the outer end of said shank removably engaging in the bore of the retaining member, anti-rotation means releasably engaging between said retaining member and the outer end of the shank member, and wrench flats on said retaining member whereby one wrench element may be applied to the wrench engaging surfaces on the plug extension for applying screw driving torque to said plug and another wrench element may be applied to the wrench flats on the retaining member for applying spinning torque to the spinning device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 14,696 Min-ard Apr. 15, 1856 501,547 Thomson July 18, 1893 1,153,489 Hardy Sept. 14, 1915 1,468,662 Gifford Sept. 25, 1923 1,476,756 Junkers Dec. 11, 1923 1,728,002 Nelson Sept. 10, 1929 1,765,704 Schultis June 24, 1930 1,897,320 McKnight et al Feb. 14, 1933 1,978,430 Kipnis Oct. 30, 1934 2,173,759 McCl-oskey Sept. 19, 1939 2,200,662 Welch a May 14, 1940 2,711,774 Wilson June 28, 1955 2,736,949 Kraemer Mar. 6, 1956 2,819,697 Kraemer Jan. 14, 1958 

